Fierce and Free
by Patricia de Lioncourt
Summary: Drabble. Oona apologizes to Gump for keeping her secret.


A/N- This drabble—as it will probably be—has been years and years in the making. Well, I'm finally going to get it out there. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer- I don't own Legend, it belongs to MCA Universal. This applies to all chapters.

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_Let me apologize to begin with  
Let me apologize for what I'm about to say  
But trying to be genuine was harder than it seemed_

--Linkin Park, "In Between"

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**Fierce and Free**

Silence. A heavy, thick silence had fallen between them. Although both Children of the Forest spent day and night with each other…neither spoke to the other. Oona dared not make the first move, ashamed, in her heart, that she had kept her secret from Gump…her oldest friend. And Gump, presumably, was still angry with her.

They were in their home, sitting quietly like most their evenings anymore. Oona was in her "big" form, as she called it. She was not taunting him…she simply found it more comfortable. It was nice…having a form viewable to others. But Gump glared at her from his seat in front of their simple fireplace.

Their home was an enchanted, hollowed-out tree. It was rather quaint, with a cozy fireplace and wooden furniture designed to look like acorns. She was sitting cross-legged on the small couch across from Gump. She sighed, pushing her wild hair back.

She missed their conversations. She missed him confiding in her. But she knew she didn't deserve such a privilege anymore. She lost that in refusing to confide in _him_. She stood, about to leave the home, sick with the tenseness covering the room. Anger is no way for a fairy to live.

"Where are you going, Oona?" Gump said, causing her to jump.

She turned from her place at the doorway. "I thought you did not wish me here, Gump. I was going to make myself scarce."

Gump stood. In this form, her friend barely reached above her waist. He crossed his arms over his bare chest.

"We are bonded, you and I. What have I ever said to make you think to leave, Sprite?"

She sighed, stepping back away from the door. She found the strong temptation to shrink herself and fly away into the night. There was a time she viewed him as "master." Now, with her sudden increase in form, this was no longer. However, she still found it hard to say the words she often longed to say.

Gump growled in aggravation at her quiet. He put his back to her, waving his hand violently in dismissal.

"Leave, then."

She felt the anger, the sadness, and the resentment well up in her. It burst, birthed into form, from her mouth.

"I was simply following my heart, Gump! A fairy's heart beats—"

But Gump interrupted her. "Fierce and free. I remember. That gives you no right to hide such a power from me!"

Oona took another determined step forward. "Why can't I? Be I your slave? I thought…I thought if I showed it to you…you would reject me as your bonded one!"

His eyes widened, and Oona clapped a dainty hand over her mouth. She had not meant to reveal herself in such a manner. The Forest Elf stood and approached his fairy.

"Oona, I could never reject you. Not even when my heart filled with anger. I thought that you did not want me to know because you no longer wished to be my bonded one."

Oona slumped to her knees, holding her face level with Gump's. She wrapped herself around him and fought crying into his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry! I would never leave you, Gump. Please, never doubt that in me ever again."

Gump smiled and hugged Oona back. "Never. You have my word."

Oona stood and sniffled a bit, a result of her hidden tears. Gump smiled awkwardly up at her. Then, he rushed and produced his flute, offering to play for her. She nodded, and, once the rhythm got going, she began to dance for him, as she had only done before in her small form. It pleased her to finally be able to show him the intricate moves of this dance.

And it pleased her to know that silence would never fall between the two again.

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End Notes: Well, I hope that wasn't too pointless. Just a little bit of fluff. Please review!


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